


Attached at the Neck (DreamNotFound)

by arsenicarose



Series: DreamNotFound COMFORT Fics [15]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Bisexual GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Blood, Blood Bond, Blood Drinking, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Body Horror, But it's used minimally, Consensual Vampire/human blood exchange relationship, Drug Use, Followed by Stranger, Hypnotism, Jealous Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Lesbian Vampires, M/M, Major Character Injury, Minecraft Gameplay, Minor whump, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Protectiveness, Queer Character, Queer Themes, Queerplatonic Relationships, Recreational Drug Use, Stalking, Vampire Bites, Vampires, Vampiric Hypnotism, Whump, graphic description of violence, vampire blood as a drug, vampire lore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:26:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29543736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arsenicarose/pseuds/arsenicarose
Summary: George meets a vampire, alluring and enchanting, and forms a platonic friendship with her, but how can he explain their bonded relationship to Dream? How can he confess his love to Dream when he can't explain her?(AKA George feeds a vampire and Dream is jealous of what he can't understand.)(AN: Listen, I really don't know how to explain this fic, but if you like DNF and vampire stuff, take a look? >.<)
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: DreamNotFound COMFORT Fics [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2050791
Comments: 126
Kudos: 237





	1. Vulnerable Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Updates on Monday afternoons PST. :]
> 
> Also, a very special thank you to Cal106. Without him, I never would have had the courage to post this piece. Thanks for giving me confidence in my work. <3

George meandered down the dimly lit street, barely aware of his surroundings. He was tired and ready to get home after a long day of errands and responsibility, and his only thought was whether he was going to play Minecraft with Dream or go straight to bed.

He was stopped, however, by an eerie feeling and motion at the very edge of his vision. Something had moved in the alley as he walked past it, but he didn’t clearly see the movement so much as hear a strange rustling sound and hissed whispers that he didn’t understand. He couldn’t help but glance into the open area, though he was on his guard.

There was a woman lying on the ground, discarded between a dumpster and a box. She looked skeletal, nearly desiccated, but alive. Her hair was a tangled, dark rats nest, and she was draped with torn shreds of black fabric. Her brilliant blue eyes, which seemed to take up her entire face, flashed at him, full of warning and threat, despite the fact that she so clearly was immobilized by whatever illness had taken her.

“Are you alright?” He asked, walking towards her. The sight of her, sick and bony, probably should have scared him more, but for some reason, it didn’t. He was completely calm, and only wanted to help, if he could.

“I’m fine.” Her whispered croak did little to support that statement, though, and George found himself inching closer.

“Are you sure? I could get you some food or water? Maybe a ride to a hospital?”

Her eyes scanned him, top to bottom, reading him like a book. “You would help me?”

“Of course, I would! Please, is there anything I can do?”

She pursed her lips, making them disappear almost entirely. “There is nothing that  _ you _ can do for me, but I appreciate the thought. Run along now. It’s dangerous at night.”

“I don’t want to bother you of course, but I really can get you some food or something. It’s no trouble.” He found himself drawn to her, to those big, blue eyes, and he couldn’t quite stop himself from moving towards her. His only goal was to help her, somehow, but he should have been running. The closer he got, the more the back of his mind was flashing with warnings that she was  _ dangerous _ , but he couldn’t find it in himself to care.

“What’s your name?” She asked, carefully. It looked like she wasn’t breathing anymore, but that must have been his imagination.

“George.”

“Well, George, it was lovely to meet you tonight, and I do wish you all the best, but you really best be  **going** now.” She said it with a grunt, and a wave of something splashed out of the alley.

It hit George in the face, and for a moment, all he could see were her eyes. They flashed, telling him that he really had to leave, and he believed them immediately. For a brief moment, they changed, and he saw a color he had never seen before. It was like blue but… more. There was a layer to it he couldn’t read or explain, and it was beautiful.

He walked back to his apartment, though he didn’t really remember choosing to do it. Nothing happened on the walk after meeting her, but he was wide awake. All traces of exhaustion had left him. Maybe he would play with Dream that night.

Thinking of Dream brought her back to his mind. Normally, this was something he would tell Dream about. “Oh my GOD, Dream, you wouldn’t believe what I just saw! There was this woman…” As he thought about it, he realized that it wasn’t going to happen. Dream wouldn’t believe him, and even if he did, he wouldn’t understand how sick she really looked, the depth of those blue eyes, or the intensity with which they met his. He could never explain to Dream that he might have managed to see another color.

When he got home, the decision was set. He couldn’t tell Dream any of it. So, he didn’t. He logged into Minecraft as if it was a completely normal night and joined the TeamSpeak. He let the memory of her fade away, and moved on.

~~~

Two days later, there was a knock on his apartment door. George was awake, despite it being nearly 2 am, but who would be knocking at that hour? Curiosity pulled him to the entryway, and he looked through the peephole to see a woman he didn’t recognize at first.

As if she sensed that he was looking, her eyes popped up, meeting his through the tiny glass hole. He knew those eyes, but it was impossible that it was the same woman. This woman was not ill or desiccated. She looked...

“George, darling, please, open the door. I promise, I’m not here to hurt you.”

He hadn't been worried about her hurting him until she said that, and he hesitated. “What do you want?”

“I’m here to offer you a gift. Please, let me explain.”

“Can’t you explain through the door?”

She sighed, and he again sensed the danger about her. “Theoretically, I could, but I would prefer not to. Please, George?”

He considered for a moment, and it was hard to choose. He didn’t doubt for a second that this woman could kill him if she wanted to, and he didn’t know her intentions. Horror was not his strong suit, and he didn’t know the best choice in most  _ games _ , and this was real life.

A decision was finally made when he realized that she was waiting patiently for him to decide. Whatever creature could go from a pile of skin wrapped bones to a healthy woman in two days shouldn’t physically have trouble opening a door and letting themselves in. Either she was being stopped by a rule, or she was stopping herself.

The door creaked open, revealing her entire form. She was tall, taller than him by about half a foot, though that was helped by the knee high, stiletto black boots she was wearing. A black blouse hung off her shoulders, with tight half-sleeves that then flared out and draped down elegantly. A waist cincher enveloped her stomach, though he couldn’t imagine she needed it, and it was the exact same blue as her eyes, with gold detailing. Her pants were also black, with chains criss crossing around her hips. And she was beautiful. Piles of dark hair that cascaded down her back, those huge blue eyes that drew you in, full lips drawn into a smile, and a jawline sharp as knives.

She looked as deadly as his brain was telling him she was, and, for a moment, he regretted opening the door.

“Good evening, George, thank you so much for that. Talking through walls has never been appealing to me.” Her voice was like the rest of her, alluring and beckoning. He hadn’t been able to hear it through the door or when she was ill, but it flowed through him now, erasing all feelings of danger that crawled through his skull.

“Stop doing that!” he hissed, shaking his head.

“Stop doing what?” she asked, cocking her perfect head to the side.

“Whatever kind of hypnosis thing you are doing!”

She laughed then, the sound of it beautiful, but threatening. “Oh, sweetheart! I’m not doing anything to you on purpose. You’re just susceptible, I guess. I should have known from when you were in the alley. Most people wouldn’t have approached me like that unless they were like you or had… less than altruistic intentions.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Invite me inside, and we can talk.”

George backed away from his door, and she didn’t follow. It hit him all at once then. The request for an invitation, the enchanting demeanor, the danger, and the desiccation he had witnessed all came together in his head and told him what she was. “You’re a vampire.”

“The modern age really does make hiding impossible,” she sighed, “I swear, they just keep making more and more vampire fiction, and one day, people will recognize us on sight!”

“Please don’t kill me…”

“Oh, honey! I don’t want to kill you! I could have done it in the alley if I really wanted to, but I sent you away, remember?”

The flash of strange color and the confused walk home popped back into mind. “Why?”

“Because you saved me from death! I was being attacked, drained of my life, and they heard you. They got freaked out and ran off before they could finish me, all thanks to you.” She smiled endearingly then, and it washed over him. He wanted nothing more than to make her happy.

“Stop that!” he growled, covering his face with his hands.

“I’m sorry, hon, I really am, but I’m really not doing it on purpose. Some people are just more affected than others…” She trailed off for a moment, before finally continuing, “Anyway, I came here to give you a present.”

“A present? I don’t want to be a vampire…”

“No, no, Gods no!” She laughed again, and it was a blissful torment. Why did everything about her sing to him? “I want to offer you my protection.”

“Your protection? From what? I’m not in danger.” 

“I’m not the only vampire that exists, darling, and you smell  _ amazing _ . Combine that with your natural interest in our kind, and I’m surprised you have gone this long unclaimed. I will make you mine, free of charge, and keep you safe.”

“I don’t want to be “yours,” and I don’t want you to give you my blood!” He chanced a glance at her, and caught her eyes again, but they didn’t flash at him this time. The draw was still there, but he was getting a bit more used to it, he hoped.

“I said free of charge!” she scoffed, rolling her eyes, “I never asked for your blood.”

“You literally said I smell delicious!”

“And you do, but you don’t have sex with everyone you think is pretty, do you?”

“I suppose not… But I don’t need sex to survive!”

“Ah, that’s a good point. I knew I liked you.” That smile again. It was so… perfect.

He shook his head. “I still don’t want to be owned by you.”

“No, no. I already owe you, so this will just make us even. If I claim you, I would expect nothing in return, but other vampires would leave you alone. Especially if they knew you were mine.”

“How do you ‘claim’ me, then?” George couldn’t believe he was actually considering this. Why did he find himself starting to trust this death goddess? Even with the trance he kept falling into, he knew she was dangerous, and she could easily destroy him, but, for some reason, it didn’t bother him.

“I’ll give you a little of my blood. Then, I’ll know where you are and if you are in danger." She paused, thinking for a moment." Oh! You’ll also have to invite me into your house.”

“Drink your blood?! Invite you into my house?! Do you think I’m stupid?!” He demanded, incredulously. “If I did those things, I would be just  _ asking _ to be murdered or turned!”

Her face went solemn, serious. All trace of mirth drained away, and he could almost see the years of life that must have been hidden under her youthful beauty. “I swear to you, on my very life, that I will do my best to protect you from harm, and that I will not purposefully cause you any harm either. I will not drink your blood unless you specifically offer it, and I will not visit you without cause. Should I break these rules, may I be killed again, permanently, dust in the ground.”

The severity of the promise rang through him like a gong. He could feel the power behind it, and was somehow sure that she would genuinely die if she failed him. It made him feel better, and somehow, she wasn’t so entrancing anymore. “One last question, if I let you in, can I rescind my invitation at any time? Or do I have to do a ritual?”

“You can rescind at any time. No ritual needed. Just say, ‘I rescind your invitation.’ Or, honestly, you could probably just say, ‘Get out!’ and mean it.” She shrugged. “Most people don’t ask me to stop visiting.”

George rolled his eyes. “Oh, because you are so great?”

“Because I don’t visit people in their homes. I hunt them on the street.” Her tone didn’t change, but the sudden violence sent a thread of shock through him.

“See, you can’t say things like that and expect me to trust you.” George said, shaking his head.

“I gave you the most solemn vow! Besides, I’m not hunting you on the street. I’m protecting you.”

“And the blood won’t turn me?”

She shook her head. “There are a lot more steps to it than that. All it will do is heighten your senses and make you heal a bit faster for a few days.”

“And ‘tie’ you to me?”

“Yeah, and that. We will be connected.”

George thought about it for a long time. Once he was sure that she really couldn’t get inside without an invitation, he started to pace his floors, trying to find the answer to this. He had never found himself to be in serious danger before, but a vampire protector could be neat, and he did find her so enchanting. What if the next one he met wasn’t so considerate?

But then his brain cleared and he realized how ridiculous he was actually being. He couldn’t invite a self-proclaimed vampire into his home! If she didn’t kill him that night, she could easily kill him some other time. The concept of a vampire protector was cool in theory, but the reality of it scared him. He had no idea what it meant to be owned like that, the implications and ramifications, and he couldn’t trust her enough to tell him.

“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to say no,” he finally answered, bracing himself.

She just shrugged, coolly, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “Fair enough. Just thought I would offer.”

“And it’s sweet… I just… I can’t be having your blood in me, especially with how you… affect my judgement.”

“I can understand that. What if I just gave you my number then? It won’t be as instant as if I could feel you through the blood, but it’s better than nothing.”

George frowned, crossing his arms. “I’m not some weak kitten who can’t defend himself.”

“All humans are kittens compared to vampires, darling. There is no judgement there, it’s just the truth.”

He was boggled by the way she just  _ said _ things, so blunt and seemingly oblivious to the meaning behind what she was implying. Maybe she knew the significance of her words, and she just didn’t care. It was kind of refreshing, in a terrifying way. If he could ever be certain that she wouldn’t harm him, it wouldn’t be so bad, honestly.

“Fine, I’ll take your number," he conceded, "but I’m not gonna use it. I’ve never even been approached by a vampire before you.”

“It’s possible that you have been and you just don’t remember it, but that would make you very lucky. You’re a good man, George. I don’t want to see you hurt.” 

“Well, I appreciate that.”

She let out a careful breath, and her voice got soft. “There is one thing I have to do, though. I’m sorry George.”

“Wait, what?”

“It is to keep both of us safe, and I really am sorry.  **Do not tell any humans about vampires** .”

That wave crashed over him, and he was lost in the blue of her eyes again, swirling down, down, down to the bottom before she pulled him back up. As he climbed out, he saw flashes of that color again, the one he couldn’t name, echoing off the walls.

“What the hell was that?” He gasped, as he returned to his senses.

“It’s just a precaution. If a vampire finds out that you told even one human, they will kill you both, and maybe all your friends, to keep the secret safe. Any exposed human has to be contained.”

“Yeah, I understand  _ why _ , but what  _ was _ that? Like what did you  _ do _ ?”

“I sort of… commanded you…” She seemed sheepish as she said this, which was a first. “Don’t worry about it. I won’t do it again, I swear.”

“Did you use it on me in the alley too?”

“Yes. I had to send you away. I was so hungry that I would have killed you.”

He almost asked how she had managed to survive then, but quickly decided against it. She had mentioned that people with bad intentions were the only others to approach her in that state, and he knew how vampires kept themselves alive. There was no need to make her say it, even if he knew she would. “Well… Thanks for the offer, I suppose.”

“Anytime. And don’t be afraid to call if you need me.” With that, she carefully placed a card on the ground in the entryway, pushing it until her hand came against an invisible barrier, and then disappeared. One moment, she was standing in his doorway, all menacing and darkness, and the next, she was just gone. He had no idea how she did it. He leaned down to pick up the card, cautiously, in case she decided to appear again. The second it was in his grasp, he snatched it up, quickly closing the door behind him.

Her name was Esther Dame.

The card was simple, just her name and phone number with a wrought iron design curling around it. He considered tossing it, but decided not to at the last moment. There was no way he was actually in any danger, but it didn’t hurt to save the number, right? It wasn’t like his phone would run out of memory from one extra contact, and it was kind of funny too, the idea of having a vampire on speed dial.

He saved her number as “Esther (Vamp),” which was enough that he would remember, but not so much that other people would assume, hopefully. Besides, no one would ever see it, and, by the end of the night, he planned on forgetting about her entirely.


	2. Avoided Realization

**Four months later**

  
George didn’t forget about her. For some reason, he thought about her all the time, just in the back of his mind, like something was demanding that he connect with her again. Despite the constant ache, he ignored it as best he could, and didn’t say a word to her.

Besides the weird vampire obsession constantly at the back of his mind (he read thousands of pages of vampire fiction and watched hours of vampire films/TV), everything else was relatively normal. He hung out with Dream and Sapnap or Karl and Quackity, he streamed, he made videos, he rested. Everything was fine. Sometimes, life became so routine that he could almost forget that vampires existed, especially when he got to talking with his friends.

If they noticed anything new about him, they didn’t say, though they did tease him when they caught sight of a vampire novel on his desk once.

“I’m reading it to catch the eye of this girl,” he lied smoothly, though, he realized it wasn’t entirely a lie.

George knew he could text her at any time, if he wanted to, and she might even reply, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. How could he possibly be _so_ drawn to her? There was no way that ended well. There was no way it was healthy.

“George!” Dream’s voice shattered his absent-minded daydreaming.

“Huh? What? Oh, sorry, just thinking about… stuff,” George replied. He swirled his mouse a couple times, getting his character realigned, and then joined them in bedwars.

“Finally, dude, oh my god. We’ve _been_ waiting,” Sapnap complained, punching at George in the lobby.

“Sorry! I was just distracted.”

“Distracted? This is a very serious thing we’re doing here,” Sapnap said, with a healthy dose of sarcasm.

“Probably thinking about that _giiiiiirl_ ,” Dream teased, “You know, the vampire book one?”

George blushed immediately, and he was so thankful his face cam was off. “Nah, it didn’t end up working out with her.”

“It’s okay to just admit you like vamp-romance novels, Georgie, we won’t judge you.” Sapnap’s avatar crouched in front of George’s, walking back and forth placatingly, but the grin was audible.

“Shut up, Sapnap, you’re just jealous that I even approached a girl.”

“I mean, you didn’t get her, so we’re basically even then.”

“Yeah, whatever.” George could have mentioned that he was actually the one to turn her down, but that just seemed desperate, so he didn’t say anything. He also failed mention that he didn’t really want to _date_ her, per se, but he wasn’t sure what he wanted from her instead.

He shook his head, trying to toss those thoughts aside. He didn’t want _anything_ from her. 

“Damn, George, this girl really must have done a number on you…” Dream said, a little too quietly.

“No, nothing like that… I just… I’m learning stuff, I guess.”

“Did you finally learn that you’re gay?” Sapnap teased.

“Even if I was, you still couldn’t have me,” George shot back.

“Owwww. That hurt my feewings, Gogy.”

“Good.”

Dream sighed, exasperated. “Now, now, boys, you're both handsome and datable. Can we please play the game?”

“You’re so sweet to me Dweam,” Sapnap cooed, sneaking near Dream’s avatar and making obnoxious kissing sounds.

“Get the fuck off me!” Dream laughed, punching at Sapnap.

George didn’t reply to Dream’s comment, because he found that he couldn’t. He wasn’t sure why, but as time went on, Dream’s compliments started to affect him deeper and deeper. He basked in them a little too long, heat rising in his cheeks, and desperately wished for more, even though he could never ask. He wasn’t exactly sure what to call that, so he decided to call it nothing.

Finally, they dropped into a game and started to play, and George wasn’t playing well, which had become a regular thing in those last few months.

“Why are you _so_ bad?” Sapnap groaned, watching George fall off the map yet again.

“I dunno! I’m just… I dunno…”

Dream sighed. “It’s okay, George, we’ll just carry you as always.”

George bristled. “I can leave, if you’d prefer?”

“No! Don’t go, actually!” Dream said, a little too quickly, “We like your company. Right, Sapnap?”

“I’d like his company even better if he could play the game!”

“Shut _up_ , Sapnap. Maybe I could play better if I had supportive teammates!” George growled.

“We’re already carrying you, dude,” Sapnap scoffed, “How much more support do you want?”

George just leaned back in his chair and groaned. It had been like this for so long, and sometimes he wondered if it would be better to just give in and _call_ her so he could stop thinking about her all the time. Something told him that, though she was incredibly dangerous, she wasn’t dangerous to _him_. Another part of him couldn’t believe that though.

“Seriously, though, George, are you alright?” Dream asked softly.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just… tired and out of it, I guess.”

Sapnap’s voice got soft too, all earlier mockery forgotten. “You’ve been tired and out of it for a while, man. You sure you’re good?”

“Yeah, just… Thinking about her…” Maybe they could help? “I actually turned her down, but I’m regretting it.”

“Why did you turn her down?” Sapnap asked

“She was… intense. Not like stalkerish or creepy or anything, but she just… I don’t know. She was just so… sure of herself.” That was basically all the detail he could give. Even trying to say that she felt dangerous tied his tongue to the roof of his mouth. Stupid mental block.

“That’s all? You’re so damn skittish, dude!”

“I’m not explaining it well…” George rubbed his temples. “I don’t think there is a way to explain it honestly…”

Dream was surprisingly quiet during this exchange, not offering a single piece of sage wisdom or advice, much to George’s chagrin. He trusted Dream with most questions, because Dream would just… tell him.

Oh.

There were definitely a lot of reasons to be freaked out by her, but that was probably part of why he couldn’t get her out of his head. She and Dream didn’t have a lot in common, but there was something… familiar and safe about her, just like how he felt with Dream. He had no reason to feel that way, at least not with her, but it was there nonetheless. 

Could you have two platonic soulmates? Could you feel safe with someone you only met once?

It was way too fast to be thinking something like that with her, and, for some reason, labeling Dream as a “platonic” soulmate kind of hurt. It always rubbed him the wrong way when he saw fans calling them that, though he really couldn’t figure out why.

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you, then,” Sapnap replied, interrupting his thoughts, “But maybe do _something_ so we can play?”

“Yeah…” George was so struck that Dream still hadn’t spoken, so he reached out, “Dream? What do you think?”

“Oh… Um, I dunno… If you think she is too intense or whatever, maybe you’re right? I’m not the best with this…”

“You literally have bragged about how you are the best with girls of the three of us,” Sapnap retorted.

“Yeah, but… I don’t know how to give good advice to someone else.”

“Sure. More like you can’t give good advice to George because you want him on your dick…” Sapnap mumbled.

“WOAH!!!” Dream and George shouted in unison.

“Sapnap, what the hell?” George snapped, feeling weird for some reason.

Dream sputtered. “Seriously, Sapnap, what was that?”

“Guys, it was a joke, jesus! Freaking out over nothing, oh my god! Like you guys don’t make those kinds of jokes all the time!”

Something felt different about it though, at least for George. It wasn’t that he wanted to sit on Dream’s dick or anything… right? Suddenly his brain went to a place he wasn’t ready to go to, and he had to shake his head again. It was not the time for those kinds of thoughts. “It was just a bit… explicit.”

“Yeah, it really was…” Dream’s voice was kind of off.

“You guys are so sensitive all of a sudden.”

“I think I really just need to eat something. I’m gonna head out,” George announced, desperately needing to not be in a conversation about sex with Dream.

“Awww, don’t go! I’m sorry if that was too far, Gogy!” Sapnap seemed genuinely apologetic as he spoke.

“No, it wasn’t that.” Well not _entirely_ that. “I just really need to eat something, and then probably go to bed. It’s getting late here.”

“Georrrrggeeeeee!” Dream whined.

George replied in kind with, “Whaaaaat?” exaggerating the tone to a mocking degree.

“Don’t go! I’ll order you some food!”

“Nah, Sapnap’s right. I’ll just drag you down. Play some 2v2’s and I’ll come back rested and better tomorrow, okay?”

“Okayyyyy.”

George started to log out of everything, shutting things down one by one, leaving TeamSpeak for last. “Goodnight!”

“Night, Georgie!”

“Night, George.” Dream’s voice was kind of sad. More than it should have been.

George chose to ignore it, really not feeling ready to deal with any of _that_ , and left the channel. His thoughts were all crawling around his skull, bringing him too close to a realization he wasn’t ready for. Normally, he would just order in, but with his brain in a tizzy, he decided to go out for once. A walk would do him well.

It was a relatively nice night, not too cold, not too warm. He walked down the street at a brisk pace, eager to get the take out from his favorite local place, and get back home again. The exercise was definitely helping take his mind off things, and he put all his mental energy into imagining what he would order and the path he would take back, so he didn’t have to think about-

A shiver ran down his spine. It felt like an icy cold finger had poked into his neck and traced down his back to his tailbone. He suddenly felt incredibly uncomfortable, and he knew he had to get to the restaurant quickly. He couldn’t go home just yet, not with something following him.

There were footsteps behind him, loud and taunting. Whoever it was wanted him to know they were there, he was sure of it. They wanted him to be afraid, and he was.

He didn’t let himself walk more quickly though. There was no need to play into their game, so he feigned ignorance, specifically continuing at the same pace, as if he didn’t know.

The person behind him was getting impatient, practically stomping like a petulant child demanding attention, but George wasn’t willing to give in. The best way to avoid getting pulled into a trap was to not engage. It wasn’t that much farther to the-

Suddenly, a man was standing in front of him, appearing from nowhere in a second. He was tall and imposing, and his entire demeanor screamed threat to George, who found himself backing away without thinking. 

“Hello there.” The man grinned, showing a lot of teeth. His eyes flashed, brown and trying to be alluring, and George realized.

The man was a vampire.

“Hello. Can I help you?” George replied, still trying to play dumb.

A vicious grin spread across the man’s face, and he scanned George’s body like he was a meal. “You look absolutely delicious. Normally I don’t go for men, but you just smell so… exquisite.”

“Um, I appreciate the compliment, but I’m not going to have sex with you.” George wasn’t sure ignorance was the way to go, but he couldn’t fake it after admitting to knowing.

The vampire laughed, throwing back his head dramatically. George had to hold back a laugh himself. The man was trying far too hard to be vampiric, with the drama and the games. Obviously, he was still a threat, but somehow George couldn’t take him seriously.

“I don’t want to sleep with you, little boy.”

“Ouch, hurtful,” George replied mockingly, though he regretted it the moment it passed his lips.

A hand was around his throat in a second, not enough to hurt, but enough to remind him of how strong the vampire in front of him was. While he was distracted, George pulled out his phone. He wouldn’t get out of this alive without her help. Jokingly, he had set her as a speed dial, so he long pressed the 6 and let it ring through, hoping the vampire wouldn’t notice.

The vampire growled, almost literally, and bared his teeth, though they were still normal for the moment. “Don’t mock me, boy. I am going to fucking _devour_ you, and it is your choice whether or not you wish to survive.”

“Oh, are you a vampire?” George pretended like it was a sudden revelation.

The man before him paused. “What?”

“You’re a vampire, right? Yeah, I’m already owned. I’ve been claimed.”

He leaned away from George a little, clearly confused. “What? By whom?”

“Esther Dame.” George had never said her full name out loud, and he prayed it was right.

The vampire leaned in close and inhaled. “I do not smell another vampire on you.”

“I haven’t had her blood yet. She’s so patient with me, honestly.” George let himself fake a swoon. It was amazing how easy it was for him to lie when he was terrified. “I am hoping to get the courage to blood share soon. I’ve never been with a vampire before.”

The man’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t believe you.”

“How do I know about the blood, then? How do I know about vampires?”

“With blood like yours, no vampire could resist claiming you fully. It’s impossible.”

“Whatever.” George shrugged. “Maybe she’s just a good enough person to support my consent.”

“My god, shut up! I fucking _hate_ this generation, I swear.” He threw George to the pavement, not even watching him fall, and adopted a mocking tone. “‘She supports my consent.” Shut the fuck up. I’m going to enjoy killing you, brat.”

On the ground, George could finally access his phone again. He pressed it to his ear and heard Esther frantically calling his name. “Esther,” he whispered, “I’m at the corner of… Market and… Bryant. Please hurry!”

“George! Oh my gods! I’ll be right there!” Her voice was ragged with fear, though he couldn’t quite understand why she would care that much.

The line went dead.

“What the fuck? You _actually_ have a vampire? I thought you were just fucking around.” A foot connected with his ribs, tossing him back a meter.

“Oww!” George cried out, “what was that for?”

The man snarled, all the playfulness draining out of him. “For calling in backup, obviously. Now I’m going to need to speed through my meal instead of savoring it, so I can kill your fucking pet.” 

Could he do that? Could he actually kill Esther? George kind of assumed that she was the best. She was so sure of herself, so confident and powerful. The thought that she could die made him incredibly uncomfortable.

George didn’t share any of this with the vampire though. “She’ll kill you, fucker, ‘til you’re dust in the ground.”

A hand grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him up until he was near standing again. “I don’t fucking think so.”

With that, sharp teeth exploded out of the vampire’s mouth, unsheathing like daggers. There was absolutely no hesitation, no pause, before the teeth were buried in his neck.

George screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you ask, yes, the reason George hadn't met any vampires for so long because he literally just never goes outside, as he has admitted himself. This might literally be the first time he has gone out at night in four months. XD


	3. Troubled Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey this chapter features some pretty graphic descriptions of violence as well as explicit descriptions of blood drinking, just so you know. :]

The bite was not gentle or kind. George didn’t really expect it to be, with all of the teasing and smart mouthed shit he had said, but it fucking _hurt_. It felt like this man was trying to bite through his entire neck and decapitate him, and, for a moment, he was sure he was going to die.

Then, out of the corner of his vision, he saw a blur of something shoot towards them from across the street, stopping right behind the vampire to reveal Esther. George had never been so happy to see someone in his life.

“Of course it was you, Jay. I should have put you down a long time ago.” Esther snarled, grabbing the back of the vampire’s neck and squeezing, until he was forced to let go.

George collapsed back onto the pavement, blood oozing from his neck and down his shirt. Some rational part of him took over for a moment, and he grabbed the wound with his hand, pressing down to stop the bleeding, even though the pain made him start to tear up.

“What the _fuck_? I was eating!” Jay bellowed, twisting in her grip.

“This one is _mine_ . I laid my claim on him, and I _heard_ him tell you. He even said my name. You know better than this.”

“He isn’t officially claimed! How was I supposed to know he was telling the truth?”

“Are you stupid or do you think that I am?” She growled, tightening her grip, “He knew my _name_. He knew about the blood! He told you we were waiting! You know how I treat my humans.”

“I know you treat them like more than cattle, but _I_ don’t.”

“That isn’t a crime in and of itself, but _this_ is, and I have it recorded. No one would fault me for killing you, especially after everything you’ve done.”

Jay didn’t seem to like that. His eyes flew around wildly, and he struggled uselessly. “You’re not going to kill me for a whelp, are you Esther?”

“I guess you’re about to find out.”

He slammed his elbow back, catching her right in the diaphragm. She didn’t need to breathe, but it stunned her enough that she dropped him, losing her advantage.

George suddenly realized that she was… skinny. Not as skeletal as he had seen her that first night, but definitely not fed. He started to worry.

There was no fear in her, though. She was a warrior, gothic and fierce. Her arm flew out to grab him again, and then they were a blur. George’s eyes couldn’t process fast enough to see what they were doing, but there were terrible growls and cries of pain and the sound of flesh hitting flesh, ripping, tearing, and breaking.

Finally, they fell apart again, and both were gravely injured. Jay was limping on a leg that was facing the wrong way, wincing every time the knee bent backwards as he stood. Blood was trickling from tears and bite marks to his arms, torso, and neck, and one of his arms was immobile at his side. Esther seemed to be fairing slightly better, though there was a huge chunk ripped out of her neck and her arm, and blood was dripping from somewhere on her torso, dribbling down her leg. She held her abdomen, eyes calculating the next move.

Then, Jay started to heal. He had probably been healing the entire time, but George hadn’t noticed until he looked back and saw Jay standing straighter. His wounds started to recede and disappear back into his skin, the bleeding stopped, and he lifted his leg just in time for it to realign like magic.

Esther wasn’t healing.

“Looks like you haven’t been eating, little girl,” Jay teased, jumping up and down on his newly healed leg, “You should give up now before I kill you.”

“It will just be twice as embarrassing when _I_ kill _you_. Imagine losing just after feeding. Pathetic.” Her voice was ragged, but strong. It was clear that she was in pain, but it was also clear that she didn’t care. In that moment, George was sure she would be able to win, despite everything.

They threw themselves into the fight once more, and George couldn’t comprehend it again. All he could see was a confusing array of colors smudging together and moving around the street like movie special effects. Even though he had no way to follow what was happening, his eyes still bounced around after them, trying to glean some information from the disorienting commotion.

That round lasted much longer, and he started to worry about his own health. He wasn’t bleeding that badly, but he was still bleeding, and Jay had stolen some blood already. He didn’t know how much blood a person could lose before they became unconscious or died. He already felt so tired, but he had been tired before he left the house, so he couldn’t tell what it meant.

The blur started to slow, until suddenly George could see what they were doing. Jay was badly injured once again, and Esther’s injuries had only gotten worse. Jay started to lag and fall back, and it was a gruesome sight. Exposed bone on his jaw, huge chunks torn out of his flesh, one of his arms was barely attached, and his leg was so mangled that he was hopping. The healing was coming slower by that point, and George felt his heart soar. Esther was worse for wear too, but not as much as Jay. Just a few bleeding gashes and another huge bite on her leg. She was still standing.

Jay’s piercing brown eyes flipped to George, scanning him hungrily. George saw death in those eyes, and he started to scramble back, trying to escape, no matter how useless it was. He didn’t dare move his hand from his neck, so he was forced to crawl backwards with one arm, and it wasn’t very fast.

The vampire started to run towards him, not at full speed, but fast enough. George knew there was no escape, so he braced for impact. When it came, though, he didn’t feel it. He heard it. His eyes shot open to see Jay crash into the ground, with Esther on top.

“You never learn,” she snarled, wrapping her arms around the man’s head.

Jay started screaming, a high keening wail of a trapped animal about to die. Something in George told him it might be best to look away, but he didn’t. He stared as Jay’s head started to separate from his body, as Esther literally ripped it off with brute force. The vampire screamed the entire time, until his vocal chords were finally severed, and all he could do was cry out wordlessly through a disconnected mouth. Eventually, the last strands of muscle were severed, and Jay’s entire body exploded, like an overfull bag of blood being popped. The blood sizzled on the pavement, and became brown dust, chalky and a little tacky, that blew away in the wind. 

Esther brushed herself off and stood. “Are you alright, George?”

“Me? But you’re…” He realized that with her being a vampire, she was probably relatively fine. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just bleeding.”

“I can tell,” she replied stiffly.

“You’re hurt too,” George commented.

“Yes, I am, but I won’t die. You might.”

“I’m actually okay, I think.” He felt wonderful honestly, though that might have been the adrenaline of it all.

“It will take you a little while to bleed out. I want to heal you, but I need to eat first. Can you wait here for a moment?” Her gaze kept falling to the wound on his neck, but she forced herself to look back at his eyes every time.

“Why not just feed off me? I can’t put the blood back in,” he offered, gesturing to the warm mess cascading over his shoulder.

A spasm went through her entire body. “George, I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Then don’t?”

She said nothing, just stood there rigid as a steel pole, like she was holding herself still for fear of moving towards him.

George pushed again, suddenly confident that it was something that _needed_ to happen. “If you really don’t trust yourself, please go, but you saved my life, and I am offering.” 

He blinked, and she was standing next to him, which made him jump a little.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured.

“No, it’s alright. But please hurry.”

“Of course, sorry…” Suddenly, the warrior was gone. She was a teenager on their first date, wondering how to kiss and how much tongue was too much. 

George really couldn’t show her, because he didn’t know to do it, but he could calm her. “Take what you need, however you need it. Just don’t kill me.”

“I would never.” Her eyes flashed for a moment, and she dove in.

Her tongue was soft, surprisingly so, as she licked his shoulder clean. Her desperation for the blood had her tugging his shirt out of the way, wanting every stray drop she could find that had oozed out of him. The feeling was almost… soothing, like her tongue had an analgesic in it.

With his shoulder thoroughly clean, she started to hover around the wound itself, afraid to get too close. George was completely relaxed, though, leaning his body against her and practically purring at the sensation. Nothing hurt, all was good.

She gently pulled his hand away and took it into her mouth, cleaning each individual finger. He watched her then, saw the absolute bliss in her expression, and wondered if it was as powerful for her as it was for him. Her eyes were closed as she savored it. It should have been weirder for her to want his blood, but for some reason, it didn’t bother him at all.

After licking the last of the blood from his fingers, she finally went to the wound itself. It was still bleeding slightly, so she circled it with her tongue, before locking her lips around it, sucking softly. The pain he had expected never came. It felt like a slight hickey, a light pressure and nothing more. He wouldn’t even know that she was taking his blood if he didn’t know the bite was there.

Just as he started to actually get woozy, she stopped, pulling away with a contented look on her face. Her wounds had already started to close up, and it was getting faster and faster. Just as the last of her skin became completely clear and unmarred, she finally managed, “Wow, you really do taste amazing… How do you feel?”

“‘M okayyy… Just… Sleep…” George’s head lolled to the side.

“Oh dear… I’m so sorry, George, I might have taken too much… Fuck! Let me just find something to put the blood in…”

“What? Why?” he asked, perking up a little.

“If I keep it separate from my body long enough, it won’t tie me to you. You didn’t want to be connected, right?”

It was so sweet that she cared enough to remember, but he knew that it was ridiculous now, especially after she had literally just been drinking his blood. “No, it’s okay. You were right, and, honestly… I want to be yours. You are a good protector.”

“Are you sure, George? Because I can’t take it back, and I don’t want you to regret it.”

“I’m sure.”

She hesitated for a moment, anxiety creasing her face again. He wondered why she cared so much.

“Esther, please, I know I’m a bit woozy from the day, but I’ve honestly been thinking about this, about _you_ , even when I didn’t want to. There is no point in denying it any longer. I _want_ to be yours.”

That seemed to ease her fears enough. 

He hadn’t noticed before, but her nails were long and sharp, almost like claws, but they were painted and pretty, black and what looked to be blue. She scratched one across her wrist, drawing a brown line that dribbled slowly, oozing down her arm. 

It was the most delicious thing he had seen.

He found himself in a trance, drawn into the blood and nothing else. His hands were around her wrist in a second, and he pulled that brown line against his mouth, licking up the droplets. It tasted like heaven, safety, home, and love all at once. It was everything he wanted, and he could almost _feel_ her, coursing through his entire body. It was electrifying in a way he couldn’t describe. His grip on her only increased, and he started to suck, drinking it all in.

As the blood flowed past his lips, he could feel himself healing. The sharp tightness in his neck knit together and loosened again. The soreness in his ribs from being kicked dissipated like magic. Scrapes and bruises he hadn’t even realized were scattered across his body disappeared. He felt so good, and he wanted _more._

“Now, now, Georgie, that’s enough,” Esther chided, gently pulling her arm free of his grip.

He fell back, stunned for a moment, with his mouth slack. The taste was still on his tongue, so satisfying and comforting at the same time. All he could do was sit there and _feel_ the intensity of it. It passed over him like a wave, and he started to come back to himself, only to be immediately embarrassed. “Oh fuck, I’m sorry! I don’t know what came over me…”

“It’s okay. You were pretty badly hurt, though you seemed to _really_ like it.” She gently took his chin in her hands, forcing their eyes to meet. 

He could see them flashing, could feel ther alluring pull, but they didn’t confuse him like they did before. He felt safe under her gaze, content. There was a sensation of complete satiation, like whatever thing had been drawing him into her had been satisfied. He smiled drunkenly. “I feel great.”

“So it seems…” She examined him carefully, turning his head this way and that. “How did Jay make you feel?”

George’s face scrunched up without even thinking. “I didn’t like him.”

She smiled at his expression, but continued with a serious tone. “You could tell he was a vampire, though?”

“Not at first… I just knew someone dangerous was following me, trying to play games. I only figured it out when his eyes did that… thing. He was so dramatic, though! Oh, and he said he wanted to “devour” me.” George rolled his eyes.

“Interesting… So you weren’t drawn to him…? Like how you seem to be drawn to me?”

“Absolutely not! But I just thought that was because he was a guy?” Something about that sentence felt wrong. He definitely hadn’t been interested in Jay, but it wasn’t because the vampire was a man.

“No, that has nothing to do with it. Well… It has less to do with it.”

“What do you mean?”

Esther’s eyes glazed over for a moment, unfocused with thought. “I’m not sure… I’ll have to get back to you on that. How about I get you home?”

“What do you mean you’re not sure?” George asked incredulously. If he was going to be drawn into vampire shit, to be tied to one by blood, he expected to know what was going on.

“I have to ask someone about something. I don’t have enough information to even speculate right now, but I will tell you as soon as I know.”

George believed that. “Fair enough. I trust you, for some reason.”

“Yeah, that’s what’s confusing me. You shouldn’t,” Ester replied with pursed lips.

Fear sparked through him like fire, but for some reason, it didn’t quite touch him. His eyes flashed wide, but he didn’t feel the need to actually escape. She wasn’t going to hurt him.

Esther’s eyes went wide as well, and she put her hands up placatingly. “Fuck, no, not like that! I mean, it doesn’t make sense for a human to trust a vampire so fast. I’m not going to hurt you, I swear, but you shouldn’t be able to _know_ that.”

He relaxed immediately. For some reason, he knew her words were true and honest. “I didn’t trust you at first. I kicked you out.”

“Yeah, but you wanted to trust me… And you say you’ve been thinking about me? I’ve been thinking about you too… Normally humans don’t… stick with me like this. I’m going to talk to some people about it.”

“Is it dangerous? Like will this hurt either of us?”

She thought about it for a moment, and he took that moment to lean against her again. Her arm wrapped around him immediately, and he felt secure. Finally, she replied, “I don’t think so? I can’t imagine a way that it would be dangerous. I just don’t know what it means. Do I still dazzle you like before?”

“No. Like, not at all. I can still feel the… draw, but it’s just like a gentle reminder.”

“I didn’t want to freak you out more than I already had, but I felt a pull to you too. You think I would offer to protect any human? I mean, you seem to be special and kind outside of whatever _this_ is, but still… It’s not something I would normally do. I feel better now, though. It’s like your blood wanted me…”

George sat up, pulling away from her slightly, but maintaining physical contact. “I felt the same way! It was like your blood was singing to me!”

“Hmmm… This is… I don’t know. I know someone I can ask, though. And we really should get you home soon, sweetheart. Can you walk?”

He felt like he could do almost anything with her blood coursing through him. “Yeah, I think so.”

Esther stood in one smooth motion, slightly too fast and too fluid, though it didn’t actually bother him, and held out her hand. He took it gratefully and allowed himself to be pulled upright.

He wasn’t hungry anymore, so he didn’t even mention his original plan. He just let her guide him back to his apartment, with her walking at a slow but steady pace that he could easily match.

As they walked, they talked, or rather, he told her about himself, and she just listened. He went on about his work, his friends (especially Dream), his hobbies, and more. 

He even mentioned his colorblindness, which prompted her to ask, “What color are my eyes to you then?”

“Blue. A really nice blue too. Are they not? I didn’t think they could be anything else…”

“My eyes are purple, actually.”

For a moment, he remembered that color he had seen all those months ago, the flash of something new and unnamable. Had that been the color purple? He didn’t even know how to ask. “Sorry, I kind of just babbled on there, didn’t I? I just realized. I never talk this much!”

“Well, you had a lot of blood. You’re probably high. Besides, I don’t mind. You are not what I expected. Who knew I was feeding off a famous person?” She teased.

“Stop, actually! I’m not ‘famous.’”

“Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me either way. I just like you, especially when I get to see you smile.”

That earned her another of his smiles, though he was shy about it. How could this be so good so fast? It reminded him of Dream. She was so powerful and blunt, but she could be so soft for him when he needed it. “That’s really sweet.”

Esther fell silent for a moment, just as they approached the door to his place. “George, there is something you should know…”

He braced himself for the worst before turning to meet her gaze, leaning against the door for support. “What is it?”

“Look, there is obviously something here. I don’t know what it is, but it’s special, and I will figure it out more, but it isn’t… I mean you’re great and all, but I don’t… I’m gay…”

“Oh, me too.” George's mouth snapped shut as soon as the words tumbled out of him. He was _what_? How high had the blood made him? He wasn’t gay! Was he?

Oh.

Oh no.

_Oh fuck._

It was something he had been avoiding for a long time, honestly. Mostly because it was easy not to think about. He was attracted to women, he had even dated some, and he still liked women, but he liked men too. He always had, and he just ignored it as hard as he possibly could. “Well, to be accurate, I’m bisexual, I guess, but I didn’t really imagine us going _that_ way.”

She let out a huge sigh of relief. “Thank goodness! I was so worried that it was going to go badly! Us all weirdly connected like this, and I’m gay!”

“Yeah, I don’t know why, but I’ve never even thought about it? I think this is something different. Besides, I… I kind of have my eye on someone else.” The words tumbled out of him again, and another blast of shock rang through him. He was learning a lot about himself.

“Yeah, I agree. This is definitely something else. I’m glad we’re on the same page!” She gave him a coy grin. “Is the ‘someone’ this ‘Dream’ you keep talking about?”

George’s eyes bugged out of their sockets. “What? What are you…? Why do you think that?” She was right, and he knew it, but it still hit him like a ton of bricks. He hadn’t even really fully admitted it to himself yet.

“Because you talked about him a _lot_. You mentioned your other friends, but Dream is special to you. Ridiculous name though.”

“Oh, it’s not his real name. It’s just what I call him.”

“Awwwww!! That’s so sweet!”

“No! Not like that!” George was blushing, which didn’t help his case. “It’s a nickname he uses for his channel! Everyone calls him that.”

“Well, I hope it works out for you.” She put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing slightly.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” He asked, hoping to change the subject.

“Yeah, actually. Raven. She’s such a sweetie. When we figure out what this is, I’ll have to introduce you. Oh, I think she’ll love you!!!”

“She won’t think it’s weird? You and me, drawn to each other?” he asked. There was no way he would be a homewrecker, _especially_ in a relationship that involved vampires.

“Oh, Gods no! We’re polyam, and besides, you're a human,” Esther laughed.

Even without the level of intensity from the first night, her laughter was beautiful, despite the implication of her words. “What does _that_ mean?”

“It means that most vampires, even the weirdly monogamous ones, don’t count humans as cheating.”

“Weirdly monogamous?”

She shrugged. “Being monogamous doesn’t make sense when you live forever. It’s pretty much impossible. Nothing wrong with it, especially for humans! Just weird to me.”

“I guess that makes sense… God… I just realized, even if I do manage to tell Dream how I feel, how will I explain this?”

“Now that, I don’t know. At least not right now. We’ll figure it out together, though. And it’s not like you’re going to ask him out tonight, right?”

“Of course not!”

“Then we’ll be fine. Now, I gotta get back. I was hunting with Raven when you called, and she’s going to start to wonder.”

“Thanks for saving my life…” he murmured.

“Anytime, except for daytime, I suppose.”

They stood there for a moment, not sure what to do, until George went for it. The entire night suddenly came into reality at once, and he realized that he had nearly died, as in, he actually could have been dead in that moment. With all of that in his mind, he barreled into her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head in the crook of her shoulder. The moment he did, her arms were around him too, and she squeezed him gently.

“I was thinking the same thing,” she murmured, petting his hair.

“Oh good. I don’t know why I keep doing this stuff…”

“You’re literally high, George, don’t worry, honestly.” She squeezed him a little tighter for reassurance, “But also… It feels right to be touching you… Not like _that_ , but just… I know you’re safe.”

“And I feel safest when I’m touching you.” He paused, realizing how weird it all was. “You bring out the strangest behavior in me.”

“And you do the same to me.”

Eventually, they broke off the hug, and he went into his apartment. He hesitated for a moment, before turning back. “Hey, Esther?”

“Yeah?”

“I know you need to go, but… If you ever need or want to… You can come into my home.”

A grin broke out across her face. “Excellent. If you need anything, you know how to reach me.” With that, she disappeared into the night.

He closed the door behind her, softly, and locked it, mostly out of habit. It had been a wild day.

The bathroom light was harsh and bright after hours in dimly lit streets, and it showed what a mess he was. Despite her careful cleaning, his shirt was absolutely drenched in blood, and a lot of his skin was coated in a brown mist. He needed to take a shower.

His shirt went into a sink of cold water and dish soap, and he hopped under the hot stream. Jay’s viscous eyes popped up in his mind, and suddenly he was sure the shower water was blood. His eyes flew open in a panic, but he calmed quickly. What the hell was that?

His heart pounded in his chest for a moment, but then a calming sensation flooded through him, and Jay’s eyes were replaced by Esther’s. The fear leaked out of him, and he felt safe again. She would protect him, and Jay was dead.

After washing off the dirt and grime (and blood), scrubbing the life out of his poor shirt, and getting into some comfy clothes, he felt much better. He curled up on his couch with a mug of hot cocoa and put on something stupid to unwind before bed.

His phone buzzed from the coffee table, and he grabbed it to see he had actually missed quite a few messages.

_Dream <3: Hey, you okay? Did you get your food alright?  
_ _Dream <3: Did you fall asleep?  
_ _Dream <3: George? _

  
Esther (Vamp): Hey George, are you doing alright? Tonight was really intense, and I expect there to be a little fear, or even a lot. Let me know if you need anything. :)  
 _Esther (Vamp): I felt that. You okay?_

He replied to Esther’s texts first, since she had literally felt his jolt of fear (which would definitely require some getting used to).

_George: Hey, thanks for checking in! Just a momentary hiccup, but I’m okay now. Comfy and resting. We can talk more about it later… Tomorrow maybe?_

_Esther (Vamp): Sounds good. Rest well. <3 _

He then sent a simple reply to Dream, because he wasn’t sure what else he could say.

_George: Hey Dream! Sorry for the late reply! I’m totally okay, thanks for checking. I ran into an old friend actually, and she fed me._ :)


	4. Harried Explanations

George did manage to fall asleep, and somehow, he slept well. Despite all the weirdness, he woke up the next morning feeling  _ good _ . Godly, even. Everything was easy, and little things made him smile. His cat was the most adorable thing he had ever seen, and her fur was so soft that he almost cried.

Was he still high?

After an hour of being distracted by everything in his environment, he got a call from Dream, begging him to come play. He almost said no, worried that he would be too weird for the call, but then he remembered, this was Dream. He could basically do anything.

“Hey, George! You’re up early!” Dream teased, since it was nearly noon.

“Oh whatever. It’s not like you sleep much better! Besides, I had a weird night last night.”

“Oh yeah? What happened?”

George briefly considered giving Dream a tiny hint about the strange magnitude of his encounter with Esther the night before, and the experience of nearly dying, but just the thought of it hurt his head in a weird way. He guessed that was the mental block still working away. “Nothing, really, just generally weird.”

Dream snickered. “Did your boyfriend come over?”

“Nah, it was weird because I was banging your mum, and she tried to stay the night,” George shot back.

“WOAHHHH, WHAT?!” Dream wheezed, barely able to speak.

“Damn, George, did your balls drop this morning or something?” Sapnap asked, giggling.

“Oh, hey, Sapnap, I didn’t know you were on,” George said, coolly.

“Who are you and what have you done with Gogy?”

“Yeah, that was pretty slick, George,” Dream added, finally catching his breath.

“I mean, we do it all the time. I don’t know why it’s so serious.”

“I dunno,” Dream mused, “You just seemed more confident in it.”

“Yeah, because I was doing your mum. She’s a really nice lady, Dream. A real confidence booster.”

Sapnap and Dream were lost to it again, barely able to breathe from laughing so hard. It took them a long time to recover, and in that time, George managed to kill both of them in game. They were helpless to fight him, and Dream didn’t even notice until after he recovered.

“Hey, what? You killed me?” Dream didn’t sound mad, just confused.

“Yeah, ‘cause I could, I guess.”

“Oh yeah? You want to PVP? I’ll kick your ass if I’m actually trying, and you know it!”

“Yeah, of course you will Dream, because you're a sweat. But I guess I can concede to being your ego boost one more time, seeing as I’m on my way to being your step-dad and all.”

“Stop, George, actually stop!” Dream gasped, “I can’t breathe!!”

In the background, they could hear Sapnap’s chair hit the ground, but this didn’t cause him to stop laughing for even a second, which only made everything worse. Even George had to join in at that, and so they sat on the call for a good five minutes, completely unable to speak, and setting each other off in titters again when anyone even tried.

When they finally managed to calm down, Dream gave them both shields, crossbows, and full diamond armor and tools.

For some reason, George was especially calm. He fell into the game, to where he could almost feel the axe in his hand and the shield on his arm. After a few test swings and a bit of movement, he was fully in it. “Ready to die, Dream?”

“Ready to kick your ass, more like,” Dream scoffed.

George had never won a PVP battle against Dream before, not when they were equally matched at least. George wasn’t bad at PVP, but he wasn’t as good as Dream was. That day, though, something was different. That day, he was high as fuck.

Neither of them did anything for a moment, holding their shields up and waiting for the other to move. Suddenly, George knew exactly what to do. He took a couple steps back, moving his character away, which forced Dream to chase him. While he ran, his shield was down. George suddenly shot forward, jumped up, and slammed down, critting Dream immediately.

Dream was stunned for a moment, but he managed to get a hit in, which bounced George back a bit. “What the hell?”

George lunged forward again, bringing the axe down on Dream’s shield, disabling it, and then critting again. Dream got in a bunch of hits, but George hit him with critical hit after critical hit until Dream died.

No one said anything for a moment. Everyone was absolutely stunned by the victory, including George himself, who had never expected that to  _ work _ . Was this the heightened senses thing Esther had been talking about?

Finally, George laughed. “Let’s fucking GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” he screamed, jumping up and down and running around all of Dream’s discarded items.

“What the  _ hell _ was  _ that _ ?!” Dream demanded, running back in to collect his stuff.

“I guess you’re just bad now,” George teased, shifting on the spot that Dream had died.

“Yeah, dude, you’re so bad now,” Sapnap agreed.

“No, what  _ was _ that? Did someone else play for you or something? Like how the hell?” Dream was sometimes a bit of a sore loser, and that was doubly true when he was sure he was the best.

“I’ve been practicing, Dreamy-poo, while you’ve been sitting on your dump truck and messing around with SMP lore.”

“We’re going again. And turn on your face cam. I want to watch you play.”

George leaned into his mic, pressing his lips to the pop filter. “Oh, you want to watch me, Dream?”

Sapnap started to giggle in the background. “Duuude, do I need to leave or something? Cause, damn…”

George was kind of embarrassed at that. He had forgotten about the rules. He and Dream flirted all the time, but he was getting a little too bold and comfortable. The blood was making him think that Dream was  _ actually _ interested like that, instead of just playing a game.

Dream was quiet for a while, before finally saying, “So, how did things go with that girl last night?”

“What girl?” Sapnap and George asked at the same time.

“The one you mentioned in your text? You said you had reconnected with an old friend and  _ she _ had fed you.” Dream’s voice was so… small and tentative, but George couldn’t understand why.

“Oh! No, no, nothing like that. She really is just an old friend. We just hung out for a while and she made sure I got home safe. I was really tired.”

“I think Georgie got laaaaaaiiiiiiiid!!” Sapnap crooned.

“No, I genuinely didn’t! It’s not like that with Esther and me.”

“Oooooo Esther! The mystery girl has a name! Were you screaming it last night? Or did you have to keep quiet cause the thing she ‘fed’ you was her pussy?” Sapnap started making some incredibly obscene noises to mock him.

“Sapnap, stop! It’s not like that, honestly. Esther is… just a friend.” George couldn’t explain their real relationship dynamic, even without the mental block.

“Maybe that’s why George is so good all of a sudden, Dream.” Sapnap was enjoying this a little too much, especially since Dream was completely silent.

“You think I am better at the game because I had sex? Which I didn’t even have?”

Sapnap scoffed. “Well  _ something _ happened, that’s for sure. Yesterday, you were walking off of platforms, and today, you’re a Minecraft god!”

“The only thing that happened was I finally got some sleep. You’re being ridiculous.”

Dream was still not talking, so George sent him a private message.

_ George: I really am not dating her. I promise. _

Dream started to reply, but it took him a long time.  _ Dream is typing _ kept popping up and disappearing, before finally the response came through.

_ Dream  _ <3 _ : Okay. _

George wasn’t sure what to do. How could he prove the absence of something? Especially when his relationship with Esther was so… special. He couldn’t hide that, so he couldn’t explain that it really wasn’t sexual.

Thankfully, Sapnap saved the day. “Well if George is going to be good for once, we should play bedwars while we can! Maybe one of us can even stream, make the fans happy?”

“George should stream,” Dream said, suddenly rejoining the conversation, “I still think he’s cheating somehow.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. You’re just a sore loser, Dream. I’ll show you. We can even PVP live on stream if you want,” George offered.

“You can’t do that!” Sapnap joked, “You would ruin his rep forever!”

And just like that, everything was relatively normal again. Whatever sadness Dream had sunken into faded away, and he began throwing back barbed retorts like always. Every once and a while, Dream would go a little quiet again, but George really didn’t know what to do about that, especially since he was live.

~~~

George ended his stream right around sunset. He wasn’t sure if Esther would have answers yet, but he wanted to be free, just in case. Dream became more like himself as the stream continued, maybe feeling secure in that George would still be there for him as their relationship hadn’t changed. The stream got better and better, until he finally cut it off. There were a few close calls, some inappropriate comments, and some cheeky banter, but overall, it went well, despite how feral he seemed to be from getting high.

He stayed on the TeamSpeak with Sapnap and Dream for a little while after ending his stream, planning to beg off for “dinner” if he needed to. They chatted about normal things, the stream that day and future video plans, and everything was fine.

Until Sapnap asked, “Soooo, you going to hang out with  _ Esther _ tonight?”

George had literally been typing her a “Good morning” text as Sapnap spoke, so it didn’t feel right to lie. “I dunno, maybe. We just reconnected, so we’ll have to see how often we’ll hang out.”

“You mean how often you’ll  _ fuck _ ?”

“No, Sapnap, I don’t,” George sighed, “How many times do I have to say it before you believe me? I mean, why would I insist we weren’t dating if we actually were?”

“So Dream and I wouldn’t be jealous as single men?”

“Full offense, but when have I ever passed up the opportunity to rub something in your face?”

Sapnap paused for a moment. “That’s actually a good point…”

“Exactly.” His phone buzzed in his hand, and he looked down immediately, hopeful that it was her.

_ Esther (Vamp): Good morning.  _ ;) _ Or evening. Do you want to talk? I have some interesting information. _

_ George: Yeah, that sounds great! In like 20 minutes? _

_ Esther (Vamp): See you then.  _ :)

George found himself wondering how long she had been a vampire. There was something old and ancient about her, but her use of technology suggested something else entirely. Would it be rude to ask?

“GEORGE!” Sapnap yelled, snapping his fingers, “You there?”

“Oh! Sorry, I was distracted.”

“Is your-not girlfriend texting you?”

“Oh my God, Sapnap, let it  _ gooo _ .”

“Fine, fine! But when you come to us in a few weeks confessing your undying love for this girl, I have full rights to say ‘I told you so.’”

There was no point in engaging, so George didn’t. “Whatever. I have to go anyway. Enjoy spending your precious time obsessing over my non-existent love life.”

“Wait, where are you going?” Dream asked, suddenly breaking his long silence.

That wasn’t an easy question to answer. The truth would only add more weirdness to an already bizarre reaction from his friends, and any lie would seem like an excuse. George usually stayed on the calls with them until bedtime, and it was barely 7 pm. “Um…”

“You can just say you’re going to hang out with  _ her _ .” Dream spat bitterly.

“Dream, honestly, it’s not like that. I promise.” George made his voice as soft as he could.

“Whatever. Have fun.” With that, Dream kicked him from the call.

It actually hurt. Why was Dream being so weird about all this? Why did he care so much about Esther? George just assumed it was because Dream was always a little jealous about his time. Even when he had just been hanging with Quackity and Karl more than usual, Dream had gotten mad about it. George would just have to find a way to balance things.

~~~

Esther arrived exactly 20 minutes after George’s text, with a polite knock. When George opened the door for her, he found her in comfy clothes. Her hair was in a loose bun, and she was in a black band tee and jeans. She was still stunningly beautiful, but she looked a lot less vampiric. He wondered if that was for his benefit or her comfort, but said nothing.

She also looked surprisingly well fed, which he didn’t comment on either. Instead, he just greeted her with, “Hello and welcome! I sort of didn’t expect you to knock.”

“Just because I have an invitation, doesn’t mean I’m going to just waltz in,” Esther scoffed, “I’m a vampire, not a monster.”

“Well… I mean…”

“Oh, hush.” She rolled her eyes at him, but the smile never left her face.

There was a bit of awkward shuffling as he tried to figure out seating arrangements. It was a bizarre mix of complete trust with the dearth of actual time spent together. How do you discuss boundaries with someone who has licked blood off your fingers?

Eventually, they settled on sitting across from each other on the couch. He wanted to be touching, but she had serious information, so he held off.

Esther leaned back into the cushions of the couch. “So, I spoke with a few of my vampire friends, and I consulted the local lore obsessed weirdo, and I think I’ve figured it out. I mean, I had heard of it before, but I didn’t think it would happen to  _ me _ .”

“Well, what is it then?”

“We’re blood bonded, apparently. Basically, it’s nature’s way of balance. Some humans, a lot of them actually, have… Sorry to be crude, but they have especially delicious blood. Apparently, every one of those humans has the potential to have a blood bonded vampire. They are drawn together, and the vampire gets to have a satiating blood source, while the human gets protection. Otherwise, you would probably just die to the first vampire who found you.”

“Wait, so what happens if a delicious human doesn’t find their vampire?” Though George pretty much already knew the answer.

“Um… They die, probably, unless they somehow avoid meeting a vampire for their entire life. I’m honestly surprised you made it this long.”

“Thanks…”

She shrugged. “It’s not pleasant, but it’s the truth. I’m glad you made it this long, of course, but it’s just surprising.”

“So it’s not dangerous for us then?”

“No, no,” she laughed, “Not at all. Speaking of dangerous, how are you doing? Last night was pretty intense.”

“Oh, yeah, it really was. I’m doing alright, honestly. No nightmares, at least not that I remember, and Jay doesn’t scare me as much. Plus, I’ve got you, now.” He nudged her lightly.

“Yes, you do.”

Just then, George’s phone buzzed, and, on instinct, he checked it.

_ Dream  _ <3: _ Sorry I kicked you from the chat. I guess I’m just… I don’t know, but I’m sorry. Forgive me? _

He rolled his eyes and dropped his phone again.

“Who was that?” Esther asked. There was no jealousy in  _ her _ voice, no bitterness, just genuine curiosity and concern.

“It’s Dream. I mentioned that I reconnected with an old friend, and now both he and Sapnap think you and I are fucking. I told them we weren’t, but they didn’t believe me, and Dream got all… weird about it.”

“Did you tell them I’m gay?”

“Well, we didn’t talk about how much I could say. I mean, obviously, I’m not going to tell them you are a vampire, but how much are they allowed to know?”

“George, sweetie, they are your long time best friends, and I have a feeling you and I are going to be spending a lot of time together too. Of course you can tell them about me.” She smiled reassuringly. “Though I appreciate your concern.”

George felt a little silly for not just telling them in the first place, but hopefully that information would help smooth things over the next day. He really didn’t feel like dealing with it right then. 

His body pitched to the side a little, and she read him like a book, gathering him into her arms and holding him close. It was so comforting, and though he couldn’t understand fully why it was.

“Wait, does it bother you? My blood?” He asked, suddenly realizing.

“Not at all. I’m not hungry. Don’t worry, I would let you know.” She paused, before musing, “It’s interesting, because I haven’t had any blood but yours since last night, but it shouldn’t have been enough…”

The comment seemed rhetorical, and he didn’t know what to say, so he simply relaxed against her again. “Do you have anywhere to be?”

“No.” She gave him a squeeze. “The night is yours. Raven is kind of excited about this blood bond thing, so she practically kicked me out, so we could get to know each other.”

“Perfect.”

They spent hours just chatting with each other about everything under the sun. It turned out that Esther had a huge penchant for video games as well, though she hadn’t played Minecraft to the level he had. She didn’t talk about her life history much, though, and he decided not to push. Becoming a blood sucking fiend probably came with a story, and it might be a painful one. There were so many other things they could talk about, and he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

At some point, he passed out in her arms. He wasn’t sure when it happened. He only realized as he half woke up later in the night as she gently put him into his bed.

“Shhh, it’s okay. I have to go because the sun is going to rise, but sleep well. I’ll see you again soon?”

“Mhm.” He curled under the blankets and immediately fell back asleep as she slipped away.


End file.
